


Barking Up The Wrong Tree

by DontWearThatCrown



Category: Homestuck, MS Paint Adventures
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-18
Updated: 2013-06-18
Packaged: 2017-12-15 08:16:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/847316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DontWearThatCrown/pseuds/DontWearThatCrown
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When trying to get Roxy to appearify the orb, something unexpected happens and Roxy has to use all her powers of persuasion to stop Jade.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Barking Up The Wrong Tree

**Author's Note:**

> Bleh, there's probably tons of mistakes in this -_-  
> And sorry if any of the characters seem out of character... :/
> 
> Tried altering my writing style a bit...

"Try again." Jade barked, intent on getting the empress' orb before the day was out. Roxy's eyebrows furrowed as she closed her eyes, tossing aside the worthless green cube. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly as she realised that she'd actually been able to make something appear from nothing, even if it was just a stupid cube.

"Hurry up!" The witch of space snapped, growing impatient with Roxy's lack of concentration. Sighing, the rogue balled her fists and concentrated on the knobbly spike thing that those pictures centered around. She tried tirelessly to keep her focus on nothing other than them, but her mind flickered between memories of people she missed or longed to see. A sharp pain clutched her chest as she remembered Jade teleporting Dirk away, worried that she'd sent him to his death.

"I can't do it." Roxy muttered, lowering her head as she uncurled her hands. Her face made a connection with the palms in seconds as she buried her face in them, trying to shut out Jade.  

"That attitude isn't going to get you anywhere!" Jade growled, her ears twitching violently. "We don't have time to waste."

"Why don't you just start killing me again and again?" Roxy mumbled, unable to work up the effort to care what happened; her mind had wandered back to Dirk and she couldn't shake the feeling that something could have happened. Out of the four of them, he was the only one who wasn't trapped on this dreadful ship.

"Because I know that you want to try again." Jade replied bluntly. The rogue clenched her jaw; the witch was really starting to get to her. And it wasn't because she was constantly forcing her into obeying her command, it was because she was right: she really did want to try again.

"Fine." Roxy spat through gritted teeth. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, twiddling her fingers and focusing on whatever she could. In her mind's eye, she could see every small detail of it. She observed and admired its sharp points, curves and slick texture. The way that the colours that complimented and contracted one another fascinated her, leaving her with the thought that the object was a disturbing yet also fairly beautiful object.

Jade's words circled in her brain and Roxy tried imagining how the object would feel in her arms, trying to give the thought as much detail as she could fit in. She almost felt the prickling pain in her hands as the pointed edges cut through her soft skin, slicing the surface as blood trickled down her palms. The weight would be surprisingly light and she would be able to lift the strange knobbly ball with ease.

As enchanting blue mist swirled around Roxy's fingers, a hopeful smile spread across Jade's angry face. She crossed her fingers secretly, praying for the rogue to get it right this time; she had managed to get a grip on her new powers almost instantly so why was it taking Roxy so long?

A tear trickled down Roxy's flushed cheek as the images in her brain shifted and she imagined a demon shoving some type of sharp object through Dirk's chest. Although he, like her, had achieved God tier, the boy in her head was legitimately dying, each breath a pain-filled wheeze. Her heart panged agonisingly and her hands began to tremble, unable to bare the thought overpowering every other in her brain. She wished she could have prevented it from happening, allowed him to escape before the object pierced his heart.

A wail escaped Roxy's lips as something unexpectedly thudded onto her lap. She jumped viciously, her eyes snapping open and her eyebrows furrowing. Tears overflowed her bloodshot eyes as she stared at what she'd appearified. Her mouth dropped open as her sobs echoed in the air. She couldn't believe her eyes; had she really done it?

A vicious, murderous growl slipped through Jade's teeth as she glared at Roxy, wishing her dead. However, the rogue could not see her as her full attention was directed towards that in front of her.

"Uh, where am I?" A familiar voice groaned, rubbing the back of his aching head with his left hand. He attempted to peer around at his surroundings, but his visions was blurred by his recent blow to the head. The last thing he remembered was being teleported to the middle of fuck knows where and now this. What was going on?

"Dirk." Roxy breathed, gingerly reaching out her trembling fingers to feel the familiar warmth of his touch. As her fingertips came into contact with his forehead, the corners of her lips slipped upwards into a shy smile. "You're real."

"Roxy?" Dirk whispered, wincing as he made a sudden movement to sit upright. Blood instantly rushed to his head, clouding his vision with grey dots and blocking out the sounds of his surroundings. Two hands timidly rested on his shoulders, helping him to keep him upright. After several seconds that passed like an eternity, the dots faded and his eyesight returned to be greeted with the pale face of his best friend.

"Roxy." He beamed, a dry lump clogging his throat as he tried to swallow his rising tears. "You're safe."

The rogue opened her mouth to reply, but she was immediately interrupted by an irritated cough and a violent growl. "What did you do? The empress will not be pleased." Jade barked.

Almost instantaneously, the brief happiness faded from Roxy's face, replaced with a white sheet of sheer terror. The pace of the tears slipping  down her colourless cheeks quickened and she screamed out of pure horror. A gruesome thought of Jade's 'empress' shoving her trident through Dirk's chest entered her head and she heaved, but her empty stomach refused to allow even liquids to be regurgitated.

"JADE, NO, PLEASE?!" Roxy howled, fearing for her friend's life more than her own. If something happened to him, it would be her fault. She would be the one to blame and she couldn't bare the thought of that.

"Please, Jade!" Roxy begged, throwing herself at the witch's feet. Dirk stared at the two of them with confusion and Jade continued to growl, declining the rogue's proposal.

"Have you never cared about anyone? Have you ever cared about them so much that it killed you every day, but you didn't care as long as you were greeted with their grinning face? Imagine what it would be like to lose that person. To be the reason that their life is lost." Roxy sobbed hysterically, trying every form of persuasion she knew.

Jade gasped, her eyes flashing pure green for a split second, the madness no longer lingering in her expression. Before Roxy had time to register it, her eyes flickered back, the deliriousness flooding back alongside it. Dirk, however, had been watching the witch's face for any signs of weaknesses and he caught every moment of her wavering emotions.

Roxy buried her face into the floor, her whole body shaking with fear and fury as her entirity was filled with the sense of hopelessness. Her gloves were stained with the salty pools of tears she'd shed.

"Roxy, keep saying that." Dirk shouted, trying to encourage her. "It might just work."

The rogue glanced upwards, her eyes locking with Dirk's for several moments. His eyes were overflowing with surety and belief, giving Roxy the confidence she lacked. A small smile spread across his face and her heart skipped a beat as she realised that he wasn't ashamed of her like she'd believed before they'd split, but that he was actually proud of her.

Determined more than ever to protect the one she loved and do something useless, Roxy directed her attention back to Jade who was glaring at the rogue angrily. Taking a deep breath as tears flooded her eyes once more, she started to scream more reasoning at the witch.

"Come on, Jade, we all know that you're not heartless. You must have loved someone. There must be someone that you care about more than anyone, that you would give your life for in a heartbeat. Someone you couldn't bare to watch die. How would you feel if you were cursed to watch them be slaughtered before their time? What if it was your fault or you blamed it on yourself? Could you live with that?"

"NO! SHUT UP!" Jade howled in return, tears building into her strong eyes. For the first time since she'd captured her, Roxy saw the vulnerable side of Jade. The side that she tried to lock away and hide behind a brave face. One that no-one but she knew about.

"Jade, please! Don't make me watch the person I love die-" Roxy winced as she instinctively yelled the words, unable to risk a glance at Dirk or guess his reaction-" because I wouldn't be able to bare that. I would blame it on myself because it is my fault that he's here. Please, Jade, you must remember how much you love that person so you can understand. Could you watch them die? Could you let them go knowing it's your fault?"

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" Jade bawled, tears streaming down her face. The anger and insanity faded away from her eyes as they drifted back towards their normal shade. "I have already been through that. Words can't explain how much I love him and I had to watch him die, his blood staining my hands. It was my fault that he lost that life, that his dream self had to take over. I'd always wanted to meet him, to possibly kiss him, but not like that. He was protecting me and then I resulted in his death. It's all-" Jade's words were drowned out by her loud wailing and sniffing.

Roxy clambered to her feet clumsily, rushing towards Jade and wrapping her arms around her trembling body. She stroked her hair softly, trying to comfort her without coming across as strange or creepy. The rogue couldn't imagine what a situation like that would feel like and she hated even the thought of losing Dirk. It must have been absolute torture to live through it.

"Everything will be alright." She whispered gently, trying to calm Jade. "He's still alive, right?"

Jade nodded, unsure whether she was able to speak. When she realised that Roxy wouldn't understand everything, she pushed herself to speak. Her voice came out croaky, uneven and barely audible, but it was better than nothing. "I haven't seen him since then. We were stuck in different realms of time and even though I haven't seen him, he's seen me. I attacked and terrorised them like I did with you two, but I don't remember it. What if he hates me?"

"I don't think he could hate you." Roxy tried to reassure her, hoping it would help. "Once we find a way out of here, you can meet him again and I promise that everything will be alright."

Jade simply nodded, before pulling away from Roxy, wiping her eyes violently. Dirk sighed awkwardly before shuffling closer to the rogue and placing his hand on her shoulder. She glanced towards him and he smiled softly at her with some type of platonic love sparkling in his eyes.

"Thank you, guys." Jade whispered softly, squeezing Roxy's hand as some type of thank you gesture. "I promise to keep you two, and your other friends, safe and whenever we get the chance, we shall escape together. I promise."

"Thank you." Roxy smiled in return.


End file.
